Sued in the City

A New York bar is threatening to sue the producers of Sex and the City for suggesting that marijuana is available on its premises.

Lawyers for Down the Hatch, in Manhattan's West Village, hope to stop the show from being broadcast in the US on Sunday, or force the HBO TV network to change the plot.

"The episode contains false, disparaging and very damaging statements," Arnold Weiss, who represents the bar, told the New York Post.

He said a central character, believed to be one of the four female stars, is shown visiting the bar in order to pick up dope, and later proudly displays the joint she bought there.

"This can cause enormous damage to the bar's reputation," he said

"The police could start hounding us. The owners could suddenly have problems if they apply for future liquor licences."

But Jennifer Kay, a bartender at Down the Hatch, doubted the programme would harm the establishment's reputation.

She said: "It's a TV show. They're always doing outlandish things."Sex and the City has dabbled in drug use before. In an earlier episode man-eater Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, was shown taking ecstasy.